Java Love
by Scarlet Eve
Summary: Une finished her martini. Trowa finished his beer. He reached out and brushed a stray strand of hair from Une's face. She appeared startled for a moment, but her expression softened. "Trowa," she purred. "Let's get out of here," Trowa said. He waved to the bartender for the check, paid in cash, leaving a generous tip, and helped Une down off the stool.


A.C. 200

Trowa Barton leaned back in the co-pilot's seat, stretching his arms over his head while Sally Po took over the controls to land the Preventer shuttle at the Brussels Interstellar Airport. It had been a long flight back from their last mission, a colony fragment located well beyond the former L5 colony cluster. Trowa was certain that by now, he knew everything there was to know about Sally Po.

Including her feelings towards his friend, Wufei Chang.

Trowa didn't necessarily need to know about all that.

The shuttle made a smooth landing on the tarmac, and Sally navigated towards the Preventer terminal. She patched through to the command center. "This is Water and Seed. We have landed at B.I.A. and are taxing to the terminal."

"Confirmed. Please use gate two," a voice replied back.

Sally altered their course slightly. Trowa unbuckled his seatbelt and stood up as Sally halted the shuttle in place beside the gate.

"Trowa," Sally said, not looking at him. She was powering down the shuttle.

"Hm?"

"You'll keep our conversations between just us, right?" she asked. Trowa could see the faintest blush on her cheeks. He smiled to himself.

"Sure, of course," he said. Sally breathed a sigh of relief and unbuckled her seatbelt. She stood up, her height nearly matching his.

"I tend to get overly talkative on these long missions," she commented, only briefly making eye contact. Trowa held a hand out, and she shook it.

"I'm told I am the best at keeping secrets," Trowa replied, which made Sally laugh. The momentary tension dissipated. Together, they left the cockpit and grabbed their suitcases and duffel bags from the storage compartments. The jet bridge had been attached and the door to the shuttle opened. Two shuttle maintenance workers were already on board, going through the diagnostic computer. Trowa and Sally nodded to them in greeting as they disembarked.

Trowa dug his cellphone from one of his bags and powered it on. He sent off a quick text to Catherine, informing her that he arrived back on Earth safely. She was in the Russian territories, performing with the circus.

Inside the terminal, Sally completed the post-mission paperwork for the shuttle and received a set of keys for a Preventer vehicle. She turned to Trowa. "Do you want to go home first, or just go to HQ?"

"HQ is fine," he said. Together, they took an elevator down to the underground parking structure and found their vehicle - a black sedan. Nothing fancy. They slipped inside, and Sally drove them through the bustling streets of Brussels.

The Preventer HQ was a tall, sleek building that jutted up from the city, its height nearly matching the nearby ESUN headquarters. Trowa was always amazed at how quickly support for the Preventer organization grew. In 198, they had been able to build this new building, and move out of their old converted warehouse headquarters.

Sally pulled into the parking garage and left the car in an open space among the other fleet vehicles. They climbed out, lugging their bags with them to another elevator, they would take them up to the twelfth floor, the location of the Team Alpha squad room.

When the elevator opened, they hauled their belongings off and into the hallway. Sally used her handprint on the bioscanner to unlock the door, and they stepped through.

The usually quiet room was in chaos. Trowa and Sally dropped their bags to the ground and stared.

Duo and Wufei were shouting at each other, while Heero stood off to the side, smirking. Zechs and Noin, who had recently returned from Mars, were lounging on a couch, laughing so hard their faces were pink.

"Hey!" Sally shouted, and in an instant, the arguing stopped. Duo and Wufei glanced at her, their faces frozen. Trowa worked hard to keep a smile from forming on his face. "What the hell is going on?" she asked, marching into the room.

"Oh, hello, Special Agent Po," Duo said, his face going red. He scratched the back of his head. Wufei crossed his arms over his chest and scowled. "You're back early."

"What is the number one rule of Team Alpha?" Sally asked, her penetrating gaze moving between Wufei and Duo.

"We weren't-" Duo began to say, but Sally cut him off.

"_What_ is the number one rule of Team Alpha?"

"No excessive arguments or shouting matches," Duo and Wufei recited.

"And who forced me to implement that rule?" Sally asked.

"We did," they answered together.

"Thought so." She turned away. "Heero, were there any other issues while I was gone?"

"No," he answered.

"Good." Sally picked up her bags and stormed to her office. Trowa shook his head.

"She _was_ in a good mood," Trowa commented to Duo and Wufei, who were now sulking. Neither spoke, so Trowa picked up his own bags and passed through the rec room into the shared office space. Trowa dumped his bags on the ground and sat down at his desk.

Heero followed him. "How did it go?" he asked.

"We found a very large piece of raw gundanium," Trowa said. "We're not sure where it came from, but we hauled it back to the lunar base."

"Did it look like anyone was trying to collect it?" Heero asked.

"Difficult to say. There was some evidence of someone being in that area not too long ago, but we found nothing conclusive. We installed a security sensor on the colony fragment anyway," Trowa explained.

"Hn." Heero appeared to be mulling it over. "Welcome back." He disappeared from the room. Trowa shook his head and turned on his laptop.

* * *

Trowa spent several hours finishing up his post-mission paperwork, but only because he became distracted with his email. Because they were part of the "elite Team Alpha," it was Commander Une's wish that they remain informed of every situation that came through the Preventer organization. Many reports had built up in his email while he was gone, and several hours passed in a flash.

It was eight in the evening when he finally packed up his things to leave. The squad room was empty and dark, meaning everyone else had gone home. He left the room and pressed the call button on the elevator. It arrived as he was responding to a text message from his sister. He barely noticed it was occupied, until he lifted his head up from his phone.

"Commander Une," he said, startled when he realized she was standing in the corner of the elevator. She didn't look happy.

"Hello Trowa," she said, juggling between two phones in her hands, and a tablet tucked under her arm. Her bag was slung over her shoulder, and it appeared to be too heavy for her. Beside her feet were two cardboard boxes of papers. "Welcome back."

"Thank you." He stared at her for a moment. "Do you need help with any of that?" She glanced up at him, and he thought she might say no. But then she sighed.

"If you could," she said. She sounded defeated.

When the elevator reached the parking garage level, Trowa hoisted up the two boxes, along with his suitcase and duffle bag. Une lugged her heavy bag along with her to her car, which was parked in its reserved spot near the elevator. She popped the trunk lid, and Trowa set the boxes down. "Thank you," she said, tossing her other things into the back seat. "Do you need a ride home, or did you leave your car here?" she asked.

"My car's back at home," he said. Une gestured to the passenger seat of her car.

"Come on," she said. Trowa set his bags in the trunk alongside the boxes and climbed into the front seat. Une slipped into the driver's seat, started up the car and pulled out of the parking space. As Une navigated through the parking garage, she made a call on her phone. Trowa looked out the passenger window to be polite.

"Hi, honey," Une said into the phone. "Yes, I'm just leaving now. - I know, I'm sorry. - Have you eaten dinner yet? - Okay, I can make your favorite, then. - See you soon, love you."

She hung up and released a long sigh.

"How is she doing?" Trowa asked.

"Better. She's only using a brace on her back and legs now. The doctors think that eventually, she'll be able to walk without assistance, though she may have a slight limp," Une said.

"That's great," Trowa said, sensing Une's sadness.

"I feel terrible, though," she went on. "I try to promise her that I'll be home at a reasonable time, but this job…" She waved towards the back of the car. "I need to review all those files by morning and write up several reports. And make dinner for Mariemaia. And everything else."

"Who watches her while you're gone?" Trowa asked, trying to keep his voice even and non-judgemental.

"I hired a woman who acts like a governess, but is trained in physical therapy as well," Une said. "Mariemaia doesn't seem to mind, but I do."

"Would you like any help?" Trowa asked. "Going through those files, I mean?" Une looked at him sharply.

"You must be exhausted," Une protested. Trowa shook his head.

"I slept on the shuttle. My sleep is messed up from that trip anyway," he said. "I'll help with the files while you spend time with Mariemaia."

Une stopped the car at a red light and seemed to be pondering the offer. Finally, she nodded. "Alright. Thank you, Trowa."

* * *

Une and Mariemaia lived in an unassuming townhouse in the Etterbeek neighborhood of Brussels. After Une parked, Trowa glanced up and saw that many lights were on inside the townhouse. He helped Une carry the boxes of files up the steps to the house.

"Mother is home!" a girlish voice cried from a room in the back of the house. Une smiled and set down her heavy bag in the hallway. Trowa followed suit and set down the boxes. The young redhead - who nearly took down the ESUN at the age of eight - appeared in the hallway, her movements restricted by the metal braces attached around her waist and legs. A middle-aged blonde woman followed Mariemaia, smiling.

"Hi, honey," Une said, leaning down to pull the girl into a hug.

"Trowa is here, too!" Mariemaia said gleefully, and she rushed to hug Trowa around the waist. He awkwardly patted her back. "How are you?" she asked him.

"I'm well," Trowa replied. Mariemaia nodded, accepting this answer, and disappeared into the kitchen once more. Une began to talk to the other woman, and Trowa could overhear her apologizing profusely, while the woman gently told Une not to worry. Trowa stepped aside as the woman took her coat from the front closet, nodded to him, and left the house. Une smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry, that was Julie Klein, the governess," she said. "Come on. We'll eat first."

Une led the way into the kitchen, where Mariemaia was already seated at the breakfast nook in the corner. The table was covered with books and notebooks, all of which looked like textbooks. Mariemaia glanced up from her books and smiled at Trowa.

"Mother says that when I can walk on my own, I can go away to boarding school," she said, grinning.

"_Maybe_," Une corrected. "I said _maybe_." Trowa tried to picture Mariemaia among girls her own age, and in his mind, she became the leader of them all. Her natural talent was exhibited early in her life, and would likely push her in a political or other leadership position.

"Miss Relena said that she went to boarding school," Mariemaia said, pushing her books aside. "She learned to fence, and ride horses, and went to parties all the time…" She trailed off in a wistful fantasy.

Une pulled several vegetables from the refrigerator and set them on the island counter. "She idolizes Relena. Wants to be just like her when she grows up."

Trowa smirked. "There are worse role models," he said.

"Right. Myself, for instance." Une looked down at the vegetables and picked up a knife. She began to chop. Trowa leaned against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest.

"You don't need to be so hard on yourself," he said. "We all did terrible things during the wars. What matters is what you do with your time _now_."

Une pressed her lips into a thin line. "It's hard to reconcile," she replied. "If I could choose, Mariemaia would choose a career that would keep her out of the spotlight. But no daughter of the Khushrenada family would follow that path. More than likely, she'll study political science and economics, which she is already interested in, and become a politician. She excels at debate."

"She could be a Preventer agent," Trowa teased. Une glanced up at him, unamused.

"Absolutely not," she said.

Trowa chuckled. "What are you making?" he asked, indicating the boiling pot of water on the stove.

"Ramen. Relena made it once for Mariemaia and naturally, it became her favorite dish. I had to ask Relena to teach me."

"I didn't know Relena could cook," Trowa said.

"In her own words, she's limited to a few Japanese dishes and chocolate chip cookies," Une said with a smile. Trowa chuckled and wondered if Relena had learned the Japanese recipes from living in Japan, or from Heero.

The ramen was finished in no time, and the three sat together at the breakfast nook, eating while Mariemaia chattered about her day at school and the subjects she was studying. Trowa found Une's cooking to be quite good. Three empty bowls soon sat on the table.

"Thank you for dinner," Trowa said when Une stood to take the bowls to the sink.

"Of course. Would you like something to drink?"

"Java would be great," he said. Une nodded and set the bowls in the sink with a clatter. She shooed Mariemaia up to her room to read and get ready for bed. Trowa left the kitchen and picked up the two boxes by the door and carried them into the living room. He found the light switch and turned it on.

The living room appeared to double as Une's office, if the cluttered desk in the far corner was any indication. The rest of the room was neat and cozy, with a television, a couch, and a few armchairs. Trowa set the boxes down on the coffee table in the middle of the room. He noticed a shelf on one wall held many pictures of Une, Mariemaia, and even one of Treize, from his time leading OZ. Trowa stared at this picture for a moment, feeling a slight twinge in his stomach.

"Here," Une said, startling him from his thoughts. He turned and took the offered mug of hot java. "There's more, if you want."

"Thanks."

They sat together on the couch, and Une pulled one of the boxes towards her and popped off the top. Folders were stacked neatly inside. She pulled out one and handed it over to him. "Each file needs an 0-2-5 report filled out and clipped inside," she said. Trowa nodded, and took the blank form that she handed over. It was a financial report, and likely needed to be presented to the Board of Directors for approval. Trowa sipped the java and leaned back on the couch and began the first report.

Trowa and Une worked silently and efficiently, and made their way through folder after folder, report after report. After a while, Trowa's hand began to cramp. Without asking, Une would refill his mug, and later in the night, brought a plate of chocolate chip cookies.

It was almost two in the morning by the time they finished. Une signed off on the last report and tossed the folder into the box.

"That would have taken me until dawn to finish alone," Une said, leaning back on the couch and rubbing her eyes with her fingers. "I can't tell you how much this helps me."

"Don't worry about it," Trowa said.

"These have not been the easiest four years," Une mumbled.

"I can imagine. You've worked very hard to get the Preventers off the ground, and you've turned it into a highly successful organization," Trowa said. "And Mariemaia is doing fine, even if you can't spend as much time with her as you'd like."

Une dropped her hands into her lap, turned her head towards him, and gave him a faint smile. "Thank you, Trowa. Of course, I couldn't have done it without a lot of help," she said. "I should take you home."

"Don't worry about it. I can call a taxi. Go get some sleep."

* * *

The next morning, Trowa arrived in the office later than he would have liked. Not surprisingly, Trowa had slept past his alarm, and was slow to get moving. He brewed a copious amount of java to take with him to work.

When he arrived, Sally was already there, though looking worse for wear. He gave her an understanding smile when she looked up at him with a blurred gaze. "Get much sleep last night?" he asked, setting his work bag and large thermos on his desk. Sally shook her head.

"Maybe an hour or two," she said, running a hand down her face. "Heero and Wufei are taking care of a small assignment this morning, so you and I can relax and catch up on some paperwork."

Trowa didn't think this sounded like a better alternative, but he said nothing. Though he certainly wasn't feeling up to taking on another assignment, so he made himself comfortable at his desk and turned on his laptop.

A few hours passed easily as Trowa immersed himself in forms and post-mission reports. He paused briefly to stretch, wishing someone could give him an intravenous java drip. He finished his thermos quickly, and he rose to get more. Sally looked miserable at her desk, and Trowa thought she should just go home.

"Want another java?" he asked, pausing at her desk. She looked up at him and nodded her head.

"Please."

Trowa smiled and headed to the elevator. He stepped inside and rode down to the first floor, where a coffee shop was located inside the lobby of the Preventer HQ. Several people stood in line waiting at the counter, so Trowa joined the queue. As he waited, he saw someone cross the lobby, struggling with several boxes and a few bags. He took a step to help whoever it was, and quickly realized it was Une. He hurried to her side and took the boxes from her, startling her at the same time.

"Oh, Trowa!" she cried out, though she was relieved. "Thank you."

"No problem. You're just getting in?" he asked gently. Une smiled and a blush dusted her cheeks.

"Unfortunately," she answered. "But thanks to you, I'm ready for my meeting with the finance team." Trowa smiled as he walked with her to the elevator. She pressed the "UP" button. "I can take these from here," she said. Trowa handed the boxes back to her after she adjusted the straps of her bags. Their eyes met for a moment, and Trowa could see how tired and stressed she was. The elevator chimed, and the doors slid open. "I'll see you later, Trowa."

"Sure thing," he said, and she disappeared behind the shining metal doors. He turned away and returned to the line at the coffee shop, which had thankfully gotten shorter. At the counter, he ordered three coffees instead of two, and resolved to take the third up to Une. She'd probably need it.

* * *

After dropping off one coffee to Sally, Trowa took the stairs up one more flight to Une's office. Her office door was open, and Trowa passed through. Une stood at her desk, pulling the files from the night before out of the boxes and organizing them on the table. When she looked up at him, he lifted his arm with the coffee cup.

"Is that for me?" she asked, and Trowa nodded, handing over the cup. "Oh, thank you!" She took a sip right away, and a noticeable wave of relief washed over her. Trowa smiled.

"Do you need more help with those?" he asked, gesturing to the piles. Une took another sip of coffee and shook her head.

"I'm all set. Thank you so much, Trowa. You've gone above and beyond the call of duty these last two days," Une said. She set the coffee cup down and sank into her chair. "I owe you one." Trowa waved away the compliment.

"I work for you, after all," he said. She smiled.

"That is true, I suppose." Trowa gave her a slight bow of the head and began to step out of the office. "Wait, Trowa!" He paused and turned back. "Mariemaia has an after-school club tonight. Would you - would you like to get a drink after work? On me?"

Trowa found it odd that Une was stumbling over her words, ever so slightly. "Sure, why not," he answered. Une beamed, and Trowa left the office. As he disappeared into the elevator, he felt a strange fluttering sensation in his chest. He laid his hand against his chest, frowning. Was it nervousness? Or excitement? Trowa shook his head and tried to ignore it, but the feeling only became stronger as the day wore on.

* * *

As the work day came to a close, Trowa realized he had not heard from Une again. Should he go up to her office and ask about their tentative plans? Or wait and see if she stopped by his office? In the midst of his wondering, he didn't notice the object of his thoughts enter the Alpha Team room and stop beside his desk.

"Trowa?"

He snapped his head up and looked over his shoulder. Une stood at his side, a shy smile on her face.

"Are you ready for our… meeting?" she asked, fumbling over her words. Trowa nodded.

"Just a sec." Trowa shut down his laptop and tossed it in his bag, along with a few folders that he probably would not look at until the following day. As he rose, Heero, Wufei, and Sally entered the room, throwing Trowa a strange look as they glanced between himself and Une.

"Afternoon," Une said, nodding her head towards the others. They mumbled greetings to her and spread out through the room, sitting at their own desks. Trowa nodded to Une and the two of them walked to the door and exited the Team room. In his pocket, he felt his phone buzz with a text message.

It was probably Sally. His nosy coworkers couldn't even wait until he was out of the building before texting him.

In the elevator, Trowa slipped out his phone and checked. It was indeed Sally, and she asked, in all capital letters, what he was doing with Commander Une. Trowa ignored the text and slipped the phone back in his pocket. He glanced up, and Une smiled at him. His chest fluttered.

When the elevator opened on the underground garage level, Une and Trowa stepped out into the cool semi-darkness. She halted before reaching her car.

"There's a place near me, called Paddy's, where we can go that won't have a bunch of Preventer agents around," Une said. "Does that - work for you?"

Trowa shrugged a shoulder with a smile. "That's fine with me." He retrieved his phone to look up directions. Une glanced over to make sure he pulled up the right location, and Trowa could smell her perfume wafting from her skin. It made Trowa feel a little dizzy.

"That's the right place," Une said. Trowa shook his head and blinked.

"Huh? Oh, right. I'll uh, met you there?" Une nodded and stepped away, walking towards her car. Trowa turned in the other direction and headed towards where he parked his motorcycle.

Navigating through the streets of Brussels, Trowa wondered what he was getting himself into, having drinks with the director of the entire Preventer organization. It wasn't as if they hadn't been working together for a few years. Why was he so nervous about it?

Trowa found the bar and to his surprise, saw that Une was already there, waiting outside the door. Trowa parked his motorcycle against the curb and swung his leg over the seat, pulling his helmet off at the same time. He stared at Une as she clenched her purse against her side, a nervous smile on her lips. Trowa flashed her a grin as casual as he could muster, and he saw her visibly relax. _No need to be nervous, _he thought to himself.

"Ready?" she asked as he approached. Trowa nodded and followed Une into the bar.

It was dark and smelled faintly of fried foods and stale beer. Trowa glanced around at the few patrons who sat at tables and at the bar. He was surprised that Une would go somewhere like this. Trowa was used to the high-end places where Relena and Dorothy usually ended up, where drinks were fifteen Euros a piece or more. A sign above the bar boasted select beers at two Euros a pint. This was his kind of place, but Une?

To his continued surprise, Une waved to the bartender, who hollered out a greeting back to her. She took a seat at the bar and waved to Trowa to join her. He hopped up on the leather covered stool beside her.

"A martini for me," Une said to the bartender, who nodded. "And, Trowa?"

"I'll just take whatever's on draft," he said. The bartender smirked and turned away to prepare the drinks. Une stuck her purse under the bar, hanging it from a hook screwed into the underside of the bar. She leaned her chin into her hand and flashed him a smile.

Trowa smiled back, but found himself at a loss for words. What was there to talk about with Une outside of work? Besides work?

"How is… well I guess I already know how Mariemaia is doing," Trowa said. Une chuckled. "What kind of club is she at tonight?"

"Ah, music," Une said. "She's learning to play the flute." Trowa perked up.

"I know how to play the flute," he said, a little too eagerly. "If she ever needs lessons or a tutor…"

"Oh, that would be fantastic," Une said. "She doesn't get a lot of individual attention at this group because there's so many children, so everything she does is on her own. And I'm tone-deaf so I can't help much."

"I'm sure that's not true," Trowa said. Une shrugged. The bartender set down the drinks in front of them. Une delicately lifted her martini glass to her lips and took a sip.

"Oh, I'm terrible," she said. "No sense of music whatsoever. I do think I'm a tolerable artist, though. Mostly line drawings."

"That's something," Trowa said.

"Mr. Treize always said that-" Une stopped mid sentence, and glanced at Trowa. "Sorry." Trowa blinked and shook his head.

"What did he say?" Trowa asked, a slight pang of jealousy rang in his stomach. It made him feel a little awkward, knowing that she was clearly in love with Treize while he was alive. But he was gone, and Trowa was here now.

"He always said that if I wasn't a soldier, I should study art," she finished. A brief expression of sadness crossed her face, but quickly disappeared, and her smile returned.

"You still could," he suggested.

"If I had the free time," Une lamented. "I'm lucky to be spending so much time with you lately."

Trowa blinked, not sure what she meant. That she was lucky to be spending time with _him _specifically, or just lucky to be doing anything except work? He forced a smile and took a sip of his beer.

"It's just that, well, my job is very demanding," Une said. "Between that and Mariemaia, I don't get out much, or really have other friends."

"You have the team," Trowa said, to which Une smiled.

"I'm the Commander. I doubt they see me as a friend," she said. Trowa reached out and touched her shoulder.

"At least know that we all highly respect you," Trowa said. Une smiled sadly at him, but she reached up and touched his hand briefly before reaching for her glass.

"Do you still work in the circus sometimes?" Une asked, glancing at him, her martini glass between her fingers. Trowa nodded.

"When they come into town, I'll perform a few shows as a guest performer," he answered. Une smiled.

"I'd like to see one of those performances. I'm sure Mariemaia would love it, too."

"They'll be back in Brussels in the fall, so that would be perfect," Trowa said, smiling back at her, feeling more at ease after the Treize moment.

Une finished her martini. Trowa finished his beer. He reached out and brushed a stray strand of hair from Une's face. She appeared startled for a moment, but her expression softened.

"Trowa," she purred.

"Let's get out of here," Trowa said. He waved to the bartender for the check, paid in cash, leaving a generous tip, and helped Une down off the stool.

When they arrived at Une's townhome, all the windows were dark. Mariemaia wasn't home yet. They might just have time… Trowa felt the tension and anticipation the whole ride over. Une parked the car along the side of the road, and Trowa pulled his motorcycle up behind her car. Une led the way up to the door, unlocked it, and stepped inside. Trowa followed her in. Une tossed her keys on the small table near the door, and turned to Trowa.

It was time. He took a step forward, reached to Une, slid his hands around her shoulders and into her loose hair, and pressed his lips to hers. Her own arms wrapped around his waist, sliding up and down his back. She parted her lips, and Trowa took the invitation. He plunged his tongue into her mouth, and she reciprocated. Trowa could feel his body heating up with tension and desire. His body trembled slightly against her body. He could feel her heart hammering in her chest.

"Come on," Une said, pulling away from him for a moment. She turned and led him up the stairs, her hand holding onto his. Trowa smiled and followed her into the darkness.

* * *

When Trowa woke up, he was alone. He sat up and looked around. He was still at Une's, but she wasn't in the room. A light shone beneath the door. Trowa stood up and grabbed his boxers from the pile of clothes still on the floor, and pulled them on. He wasn't sure if he should try to escape out the window, or if he should just wait for Une to come back.

He heard footsteps on the stairs, and low voices talking. Mariemaia and Une. Trowa backed away from the door, standing near the window with the sheer curtains, hiding in the shadows. He heard a door open, then close. The light under the door disappeared, and Une's bedroom door opened. She stepped inside, dressed in pajamas, with a robe tied around her. She frowned when she looked at the empty bed.

Trowa stepped out from the shadows, startling her.

"What are you doing?" she whispered.

"Hiding," he said. Une chuckled. She released the tie of her robe and slipped it off, tossing it aside on the floor. She climbed into the bed, beneath the blankets. She stared at him.

"Stay with me tonight?" she asked, motioning towards the other side of the bed. Trowa stepped forward and climbed into the bed beside her. Their bodies melted together, their legs tangled. Trowa wrapped his arms around Une, pulling her tight against him. He wondered, then, when the last time she'd been held was. When was the last time she truly felt like a woman? He pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"I hope you don't regret this," she muttered against his chest.

"Not in the slightest," Trowa answered.

"Might make things awkward at work," she replied. Trowa shrugged.

"Nothing I can't handle. Although, what about Mariemaia?" Trowa asked. Une shifted against him.

"We might have to lay low for a while," Une said. "I'm not sure she'd quite understand."

"Out through the windows. Got it." Une laughed, and Trowa's heart swelled at the sound. He pulled her tighter for a moment, smelling her hair. It was intoxicating. He hadn't noticed before; he'd been focused on the other parts of her body. With his face nestled against her, he began to drift back off to sleep.

* * *

Their ploy worked until sunrise. When the bedroom door slammed open, Une and Trowa both shot up in bed, their hearts thundering from the rude awakening.

"Mom? Trowa?" Mariemaia asked, staring at them from the doorway. Une slid out from the bed and bolted across the room, turning Mariemaia away and out into the hallway. Une closed the door, but Trowa could still hear them talking in low voices.

He sighed and hoped Une wouldn't change her mind about them… what was it? Messing around? Being adults with needs? Or something more?

Trowa wasn't sure what he wanted, but he knew he was forming an attachment to Une and her life with Mariemaia. Trowa could almost picture himself joining their little circle, but was that kind of thinking too quick?

Before he could dive down a rabbit hole of worry, Une opened the door and stepped inside, closing it behind her.

"The jig is up," she said. "At least with Mariemaia."

"What'd you tell her?" Trowa asked.

"That we're special friends," Une said. She climbed back into bed beside Trowa and snuggled up beside him. He wrapped his arms around her, once more holding her frame against his. "She's too smart for that, though."

"Hmm."

"I guess this means we don't have to hide around her," Une said. "That is, if you want to, uh," she trailed off.

"I'm willing to give this a try if you are," Trowa said.

"Technically I'm not supposed to be dating a subordinate," Une said. Trowa shrugged his shoulders.

"I'll request a transfer to the security division," Trowa said. "Then I can stay in the area more often, instead of going on long trips."

"That might work," Une said, looking up at him. Trowa smiled.

"Don't worry about anything," he said. "We'll enjoy the time we have together."

"Yes, yes we will. Do you want some java?"

"Always."

* * *

FIN


End file.
